Review: En Vogue wows hometown crowd

Twenty years ago, Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones, Dawn Robinson and Terry Ellis launched En Vogue. The Oakland R&B group, inspired by the Supremes, went on to rule the ‘90s and become one of the most successful female acts in pop music history.

En Vogue’s star was eclipsed by other girl groups by decade’s end – most notably, Destiny’s Child – and most fans, even local followers, lost track off the band around the time of its fourth studio album, 2000’s “Masterpiece Theatre.” Yet, En Vogue never really broke up. It kept right on singing through lineup changes, dwindling record sales and, to be blunt, pop-music oblivion.

Now, all four original members have reunited and embarked on the comeback trail, which led them to Yoshi’s at Jack London Square in Oakland for a three-night stand, Wednesday through Friday. The opening night concert was a love-fest between the band and its hometown fans, as En Vogue delivered an entirely entertaining 70-minute set that was full of well-chosen cover material and the group’s own hits.

Backed by a funky four-piece ensemble, each of the En Vogue ladies sounded terrific as they continually traded lead vocals. The best moments, however, came when their voices tangled, producing those signature high-flying harmonies. Even 17 years after its commercial heyday, which came with 1992’s multiplatinum “Funky Divas,” En Vogue still can harmonize with the best in the business – the band does it spectacular ways that lesser talents wouldn’t even attempt, often singing four different vocal lines that somehow manage to all complement one other.

The group, which appeared earlier this year at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, opened the show with the 1993 Top 40 hit “Love Don’t Love You” and then, one song later, gave the fans what they were really looking for: the immortal beat-down “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It).”

They followed with possibly the best (and certainly the lengthiest) old-school soul-pop-disco medley this critic has ever heard. The segment, which basically lasted a quarter of the set, included excellent partial covers of Cheryl Lynn’s “Got to be Real,” Donna Summer’s “Bad Girls,” Anita Ward’s “Ring My Bell” and Rufus’ “Tell Me Something Good.” That portion, all by itself, was worth the price of admission.

En Vogue then ventured back to its own song book for the mega-hits “Whatta Man,” “Hold On” and “Free Your Mind,” all of which sounded entirely contemporary, like they could be hits on R&B radio in 2009.

The chance to see En Vogue, one of the 20 best-selling acts of the ‘90s, in an intimate setting like the 320-capacity Yoshi’s club in Oakland was an absolute treat. How the four ladies managed to pull off all those choreographed dance moves on a relatively small stage is a true mystery. Judging by Wednesday’s outing, however, it’s a safe bet that En Vogue will be playing a bigger venue on its next hometown stop – this band seems ready for the Paramount Theatre.

Jim Harrington

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Your review is on point! I saw them last night, 10pm show with my wife and we were sitting next to the stage. It was an amazing show & very intimate… Tickets are probably sold out at this point for any shows.
We even got to shake all their hands at the end of the show, it felt like a private performance.

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